Freelander Low Water Level Alarm

**Seahorse** · 9th July 2009, 07:44 AM

I think it would be pretty fair to say that most Freelander owners are more than slightly paranoid about losing their coolant via several of the design faults inherent in petrol Freelanders, both 4's and V6's .

A friend of mine, was in fact, so concerned, that he religously checked his on a daily basis, and topped the head tank up regularly...until one day, when he forgot to replace the cap......

The rest is history, and my friend is now $10,000 poorer. Yes, you read that right, $10,000 to overhaul a Freelander V6..!!

Part of the overhaul process, and also as part of the warranty, the workshop performing the rebuild fitted an off the shelf low water alarm.

Soon after getting his car back from the shop, my friend noticed the unit started giving false signals and this only tended to fuel his paranoia....So now, not only is he a whole lot poorer, he is still not confident that his engine is properly protected.

Working on a daily basis with high performance engines, I am quite familiar with engine monitoring, and in my opinion the low water level unit fitted, while reasonably sound in design, would possibly not be what I would consider to be the best way to remedy the situation on a long term basis. Unfortunately a "robust" low water alarm would also be a reasonably expensive investment. Taken however, in the context of a possible $10,000 overhaul I personally reckon it would be worth the time/effort/expense...

Over the last month or two I have started accumulating the necessary components which I intend fitting to my 2000 model 1.8L Freelander. Some may consider these items as overkill. But as it is my intention to keep my Freelander long term, I personally feel that it is a sound investment.

If there is sufficient interest in this project I am prepared to document it's progress. So those out there who are interested....Let me know..

**101RRS** · 9th July 2009, 12:27 PM

A number of people on here have off the shelf low water alarm systems fitted to their cars and swear by them. I would suggest that the false alarms on the system you mentioned was simply because of poor installation.

The $160-$200 spent on these - modified if deemed necessary would be appropriate.

Oh - low water alarms will not protect a 1.8 petrol from the primary cause of failure which is thermal shock to the engine caused by the thermostat not opening until the engine is far too hot and allowing cold water from the radiator to enter the engine causing engine damage.

Garry

**Seahorse** · 9th July 2009, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by garrycol

Oh - low water alarms will not protect a 1.8 petrol from the primary cause of failure which is thermal shock to the engine caused by the thermostat not opening until the engine is far too hot and allowing cold water from the radiator to enter the engine causing engine damage.

Garry

Correct...!!!

Fortunately in my case, I have already taken precautions to help alleviate this problem, by relocating my thermostat as per the latest Land Rover recommendations. Even fitted a new coolant tank with upgraded cap..

While I was at it, I also removed the cylinder head and renewed the head gasket with the latest specification gasket, replaced the plastic dowels with steel and also replaced the head bolts.

Took the opportunity, to also replace the timing belt and all other belts, plus replace any suspect coolant hoses etc.

For the sake of $600- $700 and a couple of days of my time I feel that I may have helped prevent the inevitable fate that most Freelanders are prone to....(Fingers crossed..!!

)

As for low water level alarms, I have searched long and hard for something I consider to be bulletproof. Off the shelf offerings posibly do provide reasonable value for money, but personally, I am not convinced enough to trust my Freelander to them. Not disputing their effectiveness, but doubt I would trust them enough to install one in a helicopter..!! A consideration I often use when deciding upon which components I am going to use..

The system I am installing is rugged and reliable. I have worked with these components for the best part of 30 years and am still amazed to see that they are still being specified for monitoring purposes by companies that have access to the best available equipment worldwide. (Caterpillar)...

One of the main considerations for me, is that when installed, I will be able to perform a "practical" test of the functionality of the system. Cofirming positively, whether or not the system is operating correctly. Naturally there will be some initial calibration required, but this has been allowed for in the design process.

My intention is to keep my Freelander long term. Personally, I think they are one of the most practical vehicles for my applications going. I am happy to go the extra yard to take care of it...

**whyatts** · 9th July 2009, 09:49 PM

A low coolant level alarm is a must have for any car that does not have
it's own factory fitted one.
We have tried many off the shelf low coolant alarms in the past, however in my experience a brand called 'aisat' has been the best. We have fitted literally hundreds of these to our customers vehicles and have had no problem.

**Seahorse** · 10th July 2009, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by whyatts

A low coolant level alarm is a must have for any car that does not have
it's own factory fitted one.
We have tried many off the shelf low coolant alarms in the past, however in my experience a brand called 'aisat' has been the best. We have fitted literally hundreds of these to our customers vehicles and have had no problem.

Just took a quick look at the "Aisat" site. Appears to be relatively new site as there is not a lot of information listed there so far. Thanks for the tip..

They do however, list quite a few Low Water Probes and these appear to be made by VDO.

Did notice on their front page they have an icon for a company called "Murphy"....The unit I will be using in my system is made by them...

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